Synopses & Reviews
andlt;B andgt;Henrietta Levitt was the first person to discover the scientific importance of a starand#8217;s brightnessand#8212;so why has no one heard of her? Learn all about a female pioneer of astronomy in this picture book biography.andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Henrietta Swan Leavitt was born on July 4, 1868, and she changed the course of astronomy when she was just twenty-five years old. Henrietta spent years measuring star positions and sizes from photographs taken by the telescope at the Harvard College Observatory, where she worked. After Henrietta observed that certain stars had a fixed pattern to their changes, her discovery made it possible for astronomers to measure greater and greater distancesand#8212;leading to our present understanding of the vast size of the universe.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;An astronomer of her time called Henrietta Leavitt and#8220;one of the most important women ever to touch astronomy,and#8221; and another close associate said she had the and#8220;best mind at the Harvard Observatory.and#8221; Henrietta Leaveitt's story will inspire young women and aspiring scientists of all kinds and includes additional information about the solar system and astronomy.
Review
Burleigh (George Bellows: Painter with a Punch!) investigates a woman astronomer who made a significant discovery in the 1900s when most women in her field "were human 'computers.' Their job was to record. And measure. And calculate. The women were expected to 'work, not think.'
Review
Burleigh (George Bellows: Painter with a Punch!) investigates a woman astronomer who made a significant discovery in the 1900s when most women in her field "were human 'computers.' Their job was to record. And measure. And calculate. The women were expected to 'work, not think.'
Review
Burleigh introduces Henrietta Leavitt, a nineteenth-century woman determined to study astronomy at a time when and#8220;almost all astronomy teachers and students were men.and#8221; Although she graduated from college and secured a job in an observatory, Leavitt was confined to working with a group of other women doing calculations of star positions in photographs taken by male colleagues. Careful observations, however, led Leavitt to discover minute changes in the apparent brightness of certain stars over time, which in turn led to methods of determining how far a star is from Earth. This is a useful overview of a lesser-known scientific contributor, and Burleigh as usual writes with smooth clarity. ... A collection of end matter includes quotes about the stars, brief notes about Leavittand#8217;s life and discoveries and about other early female astronomers, a glossary, and a compact list of websites and titles for more exploration.
Review
When Henrietta Leavitt graduated from Radcliffe College in 1892, women were not seen as potentialandlt;BRandgt; scientists. Still, she accepted a rather tedious job measuring the positions and sizes of stars in imagesandlt;BRandgt; photographed using the Harvard College Observatory telescope. Besides measuring and note-taking, sheandlt;BRandgt; analyzed the records on certain stars that appeared to blink on and off. Her discovery that the time betweenandlt;BRandgt; blinks indicated both the starand#8217;s brightness and its distance from Earth led to the realization that theandlt;BRandgt; universe was much larger than previously thought. Focusing on the life of the mind, the text isandlt;BRandgt; contemplative and the illustrations are understated. In childhood, Leavitt is shown gazing at the night sky;andlt;BRandgt; as an adult, her most active endeavor is a sedate walk. Still, the writing celebrates her achievement, and theandlt;BRandgt; lovely artwork, set outdoors at night or indoors by day, includes yellow, tan, and white elements that areandlt;BRandgt; luminous within the dimly lit scenes. A worthy picture book with informative back matter that will helpandlt;BRandgt; children understand Leavittand#8217;s challenging times as well as her achievement.
Review
andlt;divandgt; Burleigh (George Bellows: Painter with a Punch!) investigates a woman astronomer who made a significant discovery in the 1900s when most women in her field "were human 'computers.' Their job was to record. And measure. And calculate. The women were expected to 'work, not think.'
Review
Burleigh (George Bellows: Painter with a Punch!) investigates a woman astronomer who made a significant discovery in the 1900s when most women in her field and#8220;were human and#8216;computers.and#8217; Their job was to record. And measure. And calculate. The women were expected to and#8216;work, not think.and#8217; and#8221; Henrietta Leavitt didnand#8217;t comply. Working at the Harvard College Observatory, she closely observed photographs of stars and uncovered a way to measure their true brightness, paving the way for others to measure even greater distances to the stars. Burleighand#8217;s narrative is simultaneously succinct, descriptive, and appealing: and#8220;When she closed her eyes, she could still see the star dots, dancing across the inside of her eyelids.and#8221; Working in his familiar warm, glowing style, Coland#243;n (Annie and Helen) uses colored pencils and watercolors to create feathery-textured illustrations. Some images of Leavitt at work are rendered in muted beiges and greens, which make the night sky scenes shine all the brighter with their vivid royal blues and brilliant points of white light. An afterword about Leavitt and her discovery, glossary, bibliography, and other resources round out this attractive picture-book biography. Ages 4and#8211;8.
Synopsis
Henrietta Levitt was the first person to discover the scientific importance of a star's brightness--so why has no one heard of her? Learn all about a female pioneer of astronomy in this picture book biography.
Henrietta Swan Leavitt was born on July 4, 1868, and she changed the course of astronomy when she was just twenty-five years old. Henrietta spent years measuring star positions and sizes from photographs taken by the telescope at the Harvard College Observatory, where she worked. After Henrietta observed that certain stars had a fixed pattern to their changes, her discovery made it possible for astronomers to measure greater and greater distances--leading to our present understanding of the vast size of the universe.
An astronomer of her time called Henrietta Leavitt "one of the most important women ever to touch astronomy," and another close associate said she had the "best mind at the Harvard Observatory." Henrietta Leaveitt's story will inspire young women and aspiring scientists of all kinds and includes additional information about the solar system and astronomy.
About the Author
Robert Burleigh is the award-winning author of many books for children, including andlt;iandgt;The Adventures of Mark Twain by Huckleberry Finnandlt;/iandgt;, illustrated by Barry Blitt; andlt;iandgt;Night Flightandlt;/iandgt;, illustrated by Wendell Minor; and andlt;iandgt;Black Whitenessandlt;/iandgt;, illustrated by Walter Lyon Krudop. His many other books include andlt;iandgt;Hoopsandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;Stealingandnbsp;Homeandlt;/iandgt;; and andlt;iandgt;Clang! Clang! Beep! Beep!andlt;/iandgt; He lives in Michigan.Raanduacute;l Colandoacute;n has illustrated several highly acclaimed picture books, including andlt;iandgt;Draw!andlt;/iandgt;; the andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling andlt;iandgt;Angela and the Baby Jesusandlt;/iandgt; by Frank McCourt; Susanna Reichandrsquo;s andlt;iandgt;Josandeacute;! Born to Danceandlt;/iandgt;; and Jill Bidenandrsquo;s andlt;iandgt;Donandrsquo;t Forget, God Bless Our Troopsandlt;/iandgt;. Mr. Colandoacute;n lived in Puerto Rico as a young boy and now resides in New City, New York, with his family.